After escaping from the dark and dismal workhouse where he was born, Oliver finds himself on the mean streets of Victorian-era London and is unwittingly recruited into a scabrous gang of scheming urchins. In this band of petty thieves, Oliver encounters the extraordinary and vibrant characters who have captured audiences' imaginations for more than 150 years.

David Copperfield

Based in part on Dickens's own life, it is the story of a young man's journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among its gloriously vivid cast of characters, he e.ncounters his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; the frivolous, enchanting Dora; and one of literature's great comic creations, the magnificently impecunious Mr. Micawber.

Nicholas Nickleby

The most gorgeously theatrical of all Dickens's novels, Nicholas Nickleby follows the delightful adventures of a hearty young hero in 19th-century England. Nicholas, a gentleman's son fallen upon hard times, must set out to make his way in the world. His journey is accompanied by some of the most swaggering scoundrels and unforgettable eccentrics in Dickens's pantheon.

Little Dorrit

Little Dorrit is Amy, born in debtor’s prison, the youngest child of debtor William Dorrit, an inmate of the Marshalsea. The two are befriended by a man whose wife hires Little Dorrit as a seamstress. When William Dorrit inherits a fortune, he escapes the Marshalsea. The family, assuming a station befitting their wealth, travel to Italy.

Bleak House

First published in monthly parts from March 1852 to September 1853, this novel follows the fortunes of three pedestrian characters; Esther Summerson, Ada Clare, and Richard Carstone. The story they tell embondies Dickens' merciless indictment of the Court of Chancery and its bungling, morally corrupt handling of the endless case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, giving the novel its scope and meaning.

The Pickwick Papers

The Pickwick Papers, Dickens's first novel, is a delightful romp through the pre-Reform Bill England of 1827. Samuel Pickwick and the rest of the Pickwickians are some of the most memorable of all Dickens's creations, and it is a joy to hear of their adventures in search of "interesting scenes and characters", and the repeated efforts of the quick-witted Sam Weller to rescue them all from disaster.

Barnaby Rudge

In a case of mistaken identification, Barnaby Rudge, a pale half-wit with long red hair who dresses all in green and carries a large raven on his back, is arrested as the leader of a mob of anti-Catholic rioters. He is condemned to death on the gallows, but an upright locksmith named Gabriel Varden comes to his aid.

The Old Curiosity Shop

Provoking an unprecedented outpouring of public grief when it was first published, it follows the story of Little Nell and her feckless grandfather. Forced to leave their magical shop of curiosities in London, they are pursued across the English countryside by the grotesquely evil dwarf Quilp. They escape - but at what cost?

Great Expectations

As Pip unravels the truth behind his own "great expectations" in his quest to become a gentleman, the mysteries of the past and the convolutions of fate through a series of thrilling adventures serve to steer him toward maturity and his most important discovery of all - the truth about himself.

A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]

A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past. Doctor Manette was wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years without trial by the aristocratic authorities.

Dombey and Son

Dombey and Son is vintage Dickens and explores the classic themes of betrayal, cruelty and deceit. Dombey's dysfunctional relationships are painted against a backdrop of social unrest in industrialized London, which is populated by a host of fascinating and memorable secondary characters. The complete and unabridged novel is brought spectacularly to life by veteran reader David Timson.

Great Expectations

One of the most revered works in English literature, Great Expectations traces the coming of age of a young orphan, Pip, from a boy of shallow aspirations into a man of maturity. From the chilling opening confrontation with an escaped convict to the grand but eerily disheveled estate of bitter old Miss Havisham, all is not what it seems in Dickens’ dark tale of false illusions and thwarted desire.

Bleak House

A complex plot of love and inheritance is set against the English legal system of the mid-19th century. As the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce drags on, it becomes an obsession to everyone involved. And the issue on an inheritance ultimately becomes a question of murder.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is closely modelled on the 18h-century novels that Charles Dickens loved as a child, such as Robinson Crusoe, in which the fortunes of a hero shape the plot. The likeable young Nicholas, left penniless on the death of his father, sets off in search of better prospects.

Martin Chuzzlewit

The Chuzzlewits are a family divided by money and selfishness; even young Martin, the eponymous hero, is arrogant and self-centred. He offends his grandfather by falling in love with the latter’s ward, Mary, and sets out to make his own fortune in life, travelling as far as America - which produces from Dickens a savage satire on a new world tainted with the vices of the old. Martin’s nature slowly changes through his bitter experience of life and his enduring love for Mary.

Our Mutual Friend

A mysterious boatman on the Thames, a drowned heir, a dustman and his wife, and a host of other Dickens characters populate this novel of relationships between the classes, money, greed, and love. The 58 characters are presented with remarkable clarity by David Timson.

Martin Chuzzlewit

Wealthy and old, Martin Chuzzlewit, Sr. is surrounded by greedy relatives hoping to obtain a portion of his estate upon his death. Of his two descendants, born and bred in the same heritage of selfishness, one, Martin Jr., has the good fortune to transform, while the other, Jonas, does not and receives a fatal penalty.

Hard Times

Hard Times is Dickens's most political novel. Set in the industrial north of England, in Coketown, he examines the lives of working people, who are taught by the capitalists Gradgrind and Bounderby to think only of the facts of life and not to indulge in imagination. Gradgrind’s own children have been so educated and as a result are dysfunctional and disconnected from their feelings. Only the travelling circus company of Sleary seems to offer any hope of humanity in Coketown.

Publisher's Summary

One of Charles Dickens' most popular novels, Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan who dares to say, "Please, sir, I want some more". After escaping from the dark and dismal workhouse where he was born, Oliver finds himself on the mean streets of Victorian-era London and is unwittingly recruited into a scabrous gang of scheming urchins. In this band of petty thieves, Oliver encounters the extraordinary and vibrant characters who have captured audiences' imaginations for more than 150 years: the loathsome Fagin, the beautiful and tragic Nancy, the crafty Artful Dodger, and the terrifying Bill Sikes, perhaps one of the greatest villains of all time.

Rife with Dickens' disturbing descriptions of street life, the novel is buoyed by the purity of the orphan Oliver. Though he is treated with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for most of his life, his pious innocence leads him at last to salvation - and the shocking discovery of his true identity.

I had never read Oliver Twist and found it to be the most heartwrenching and loving story, both at the same time. What truly amazed me was the narrator, his skill in how he had such completely different voices for each character, it was like listening to a play, not just one person. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if they have already read the book.

It is hard to exit the original worlds created by Dickens. I usually manage it crying like a baby. Oliver Twist is top shelf storytelling. The characters are amazing. The setting is perfect. The plot manages to throw out hundreds of threads and ties them all together at the end, while never losing or boring the reader.

Weakness? This is probably nit picking, but the story seems to work out too well in the end. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a social novel and FICTION, but I guess I just have a little bit of an issue with the whole melodramatic end, with every shoe finding a foot and every evil getting a noose. Other than that, Dickens shows with 'Oliver Twist' why is/was the master and the giant of the social novel.

This is one of the most enjoyable, entertaining books of any genre I have read / heard! The author develops the most remarkable characters and story and the narrator is fabulous! I hated to have it end and will listen to it again to make sure that I haven't missed a word!!! Classic or not, it was thoroughly enjoyable!

I read this book last when I was about 10 years old, which is to say 30 years or so ago. I had forgotten how exciting it was to be Oliver hoping to escape, praying to find a way to get back to those few who showed some kindness. You are drawn into the characters and find yourself on pins and needles to find out the fates of the characters. You cant wait to see Sykes get his desserts. You want Faegen to get his too. But most of all you want Oliver to find peace and really know it would last.

Oliver Twist is the second novel by Dickens. He was a writer with a huge social conscience, and has a great deal to say with this book. It is as though Dickens has written his heart directly onto the pages. While I find some of it melodramatic and overwritten, the minutely-drawn characters, plot, writing and feeling are more than worth a few wordy passages. It's a deeply affecting story.

Simon Vance, as usual, inhabits the characters and simply becomes the book. He has a tough line to walk here; the book is an intense plea from the heart, and the narrator could easily overdo it. Vance voices not only the characters but Dickens himself, and his tone is perfect. Slight quibble: I didn't like his voicing of Rose, but that's the only negative I can come up with. It's a marvelous performance of a wonderful book.

I’ve seen many movies based on this book and never got the full story. So, I decided because it was on sale with Audible that I’d grab it. I’m glad I did. I had to resist looking up the story line online and it was worth it. It is said that Charles Dickens used to walk the streets of London at night because he couldn’t sleep. He saw some orphans being mistreated and came up with this story. Based on the time it was amazing that he came up with it at all. Look at the research that goes into a story and realize he did it with the use of the Internet or any means of central research at all. Let’s face it library’s back then weren’t worth mentioning.

The story itself is very in depth with the characters and their inter dependency on each other. I’ve been part of the junior authors guild when I was in school, so I know how hard it is to write a book. Here Charles Dickens went beyond simply writing a story, he made us love the characters. He didn’t skip the smallest detail or the simplest mistake with the characters or story line. I like a great story with intricate characters and storyline. Here we meet young Oliver Twist who by chance or fate was named such. We see how his life goes from being simple to complex by a series of unfortunate situations or misinterpreted, misrepresented facts and situations. They say take two breaths then act. If someone had done that then young Mister Oliver would have had a very different life. He wouldn’t have been shot, thrown threw a window or kept as a slave before the truth was told. In the end I like this one better than Great Expectations for the depth of the storyline and characters.

I love listening to Simon Vance narrate Charles Dickens. I plan on listening to as many Dickens novels as I can get my ears on! Charles Dickens is a master story teller and Simon Vance is a master at bringing his masterful characters to audio.

What other book might you compare Oliver Twist to and why?

David Copperfield read by Simon Vance was thoroughly entertaining as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried and I was amazed at how I could appreciate the virtue of pure innocence and abhor pure evil in the same paragraph.

I had read an abridged version of this classic and I had seen the movie, but the book is better! I found this story very listenable whereas I found reading the book more tedious. THe narrator does a good job keeping the story moving along. I wanted to keep coming back and hear what was going to happen next, even when I was pretty sure that I already knew. I would recommend this book for children and adults to enjoy. That is a sign of a good book!

What made the experience of listening to Oliver Twist the most enjoyable?

Re-hearing the parts of the story I had forgotten and remembering the horror of the whole thing

What other book might you compare Oliver Twist to, and why?

Most of Dickens books, but maybe David Copperfield the most.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favourite?

Fagin - I thought his Fagin sounded like the Fagin that has always been in my mind. The self-preservation-at-all-costs mentality. The way he will corrupt the innocent to further his means - His total lack of conscience if it of benefit to him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It is a book that I have 'rewound' more times than I can count to make sure I haven't missed anything, such as when I have dozed off or there has been an interruption. Because of the books length it has not been possible to do it in one sitting - but not for the want of trying !!

Any additional comments?

I cannot think of a modern book that has all of the horror, sadness, gripping, spine tingling, look-over-your-shoulder moments, but also has uplifting, humerous, sentimental and moral content all within the same volume. A work of art - A masterpiece of English literature.

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